Purchase of OBC using website for Canadian customer

[hobbyfarmer2]

We want to treat our first time fellow travelers to a Crown Grill meal in mid Nov.  I note that we can purchase OBC using the website for multiples of $125 $CAD but our shipboard account is in $USD.  Does this $125 $CAD equate to $100 $USD or will a conversion be made using the current exchange rate at time of purchase?

[Mingus]

1 hour ago, hobbyfarmer2 said:

We want to treat our first time fellow travelers to a Crown Grill meal in mid Nov.  I note that we can purchase OBC using the website for multiples of $125 $CAD but our shipboard account is in $USD.  Does this $125 $CAD equate to $100 $USD or will a conversion be made using the current exchange rate at time of purchase?

Yes, it will be USD on the shipboard account.

You can also purchase C$31.25 (US$25) and C$62.50 (US$50) OBC.

[hobbyfarmer2]

Thank you but will it be $100 USD or some other number using the current exchange rate?

[Arizona Wildcat]

25 minutes ago, hobbyfarmer2 said:

Thank you but will it be $100 USD or some other number using the current exchange rate?

It will be $100USD.  The rate is fixed and today a great deal for Canadians 

[Barter123]

The conversion rate that Princess was charging for Canadians at the time you booked your cruise continues if you are purchasing OBC. If it is showing $125.00 for 100.00 OBC you booked at 25%. It's a good deal.  I have some bookings at 20%, 25%, 26% and 29%. Looking at the cost for purchasing OBC is a great way to know what conversion rate you booked at.

[hobbyfarmer2]

20 hours ago, Barter123 said:

The conversion rate that Princess was charging for Canadians at the time you booked your cruise continues if you are purchasing OBC. If it is showing $125.00 for 100.00 OBC you booked at 25%. It's a good deal.  I have some bookings at 20%, 25%, 26% and 29%. Looking at the cost for purchasing OBC is a great way to know what conversion rate you booked at.

That is my understanding as well from past purchases.  What confused me is that the page where you buy the OBC shows the Canadian prices but does not show the American dollar amount you will receive.  We are left to assume it will be $25, $50, or $100 USD but is does not show this.

Edited November 4, 2022 by hobbyfarmer2
spelling

[hobbyfarmer2]

Can finally answer this after having purchased OBC from the website.  The OBC amounts are $25, $50, & $100 USD despite not showing this on the page.  The cost is shown in $CAD.  Looking at the travel summary printout confirmed this.

[Martha1974]

We did this on Sky Princess in September - we paid £72 GBP and once on board had $100 US OBC on our account. The exchange rate at the time would have bought approx $85 US so we found it to be a very good deal.

[Perky1]

I just bought it last week for our Feb cruise and it is 100$ US in your onboard account.  I used some of it for an excursion.

[bbfbgurl]

Just curious to know if this is refundable? I am tempted to buy some OBC since these rates are much better than the bank! 

 

Thanks!

[Martha1974]

It is, although it seems to be hit-and-miss    how you get it back. On Sky we could claim anything up to $250 in cash from GS but other posts have suggested that on other ships anything over $25 is refunded by cheque once you disembark (we took the cash - I didn’t fancy the hassle of depositing a cheque in US dollars into a GBP bank account). 

[Perky1]

It is refundable but I am not sure if they will refund in a credit back to your credit card or a cheque.  I bought some for each of us and we will not spend it all.  Hoping it will be refunded by cheque.

[lx200gps]

I just finished booking 6 Speciality restaurant dinners in advance for upcoming trips (and have to make two more on board after embarkation), and was charged at 1.41 by Visa. Given the 1.25 exchange rate I get when looking to pre-purchase OBC for these two trips, it would probably save a few $$$s if I paid for the dinners using OBC. Question is, I can't remember whether it would be possible for us, upon boarding, to head to Guest Services, cancel the credit card charges and then immediately pay for the dinners using the cheaper pre-purchased OBC.  This question gets asked a lot here on CC but I can't remember whether it's possible or not.

[phabric]

You can go to the casino.  Set up a casino account, transfer OBC (the OBC you purchased at the good rate) from your cabin account to the casino account.  Play a few spins (they will freeze your casino account if you don’t play a little) then cash out to get cash.

[bbfbgurl]

Thx for the responses!  Totally forgot about the casino thing. Lol this is what happens when I haven't been cruising (or flying) since covid shut everything down.  Off to buy some OBC! 

[Kamloops50]

On 11/3/2022 at 10:43 AM, hobbyfarmer2 said:

We want to treat our first time fellow travelers to a Crown Grill meal in mid Nov.  I note that we can purchase OBC using the website for multiples of $125 $CAD but our shipboard account is in $USD.  Does this $125 $CAD equate to $100 $USD or will a conversion be made using the current exchange rate at time of purchase?

Princess has set the rate of $125 CDN for $100 USD . This is for any purchase bought online. When you pay $125 CDN for $100 USD , there wont be any other conversions done.